First Day Out

After three weeks in Sneek (seventeen days in rental cottages and now six days on the boat) we have finally set out for our grand adventure.  Today, after fussing about with the requisite last minute fuel up, ATM run, boatyard consult and bakery haul (perfectly brilliant sausage rolls and hazelnootbols), we set out for the town of Lemer.  Shortly after leaving our safe harbour we found ourselves on a canal running behind a giant barge and in front of a giant barge.  Fortunately, Tom handles the boat very well.  He's also smart enough not to let on to any of us (mostly me) when he's nervous (note that he was able to present the same calm facade when we found ourselves driving through a maze of definitely-buses-and-bicycles-only-you-stupid-tourist streets in the middle of a busy Dutch city following our IKEA shopping adventure - I'd have parked the car in the middle of the street and run screaming in a panic).
 

In our two hour journey we passed multiple working barges, many pleasure vessels (middle of the day on a Thursday when it's only ten degrees out?!), a selection of small windmills and a few fields of cows. 

 

We have landed at a marina outside Lemer, where we hope to tour a giant steam pumping station tomorrow.  Not necessarily fascinating to all, but the station is responsible for keeping this part of the Netherlands dry.  This event may comprise the bulk of the children's science education for the next few months.  This, in addition to the seeds in a can that we will grow on the boat, that is.  The marina doesn't seem particularly special and, sadly, we couldn't treat ourselves to a meal in the restaurant, as it cost us 12 euros (about 15 dollars) do do two loads of laundry.  Yikes.  We may regret not buying the boat with the washing machine.

 

So far the boat is working well as a home.  It has everything we need, and very little that we don't.  We had a very snappy bicycle shopping adventure last week, and Tom has figured out how to strap all the vehicles to the boat.  Check out Georgia's great pink bike!!  Cycling here is quite an adventure for foreigners such as ourselves, but I'll let Georgia tell about that.